Sydney, Australia – January 28, 2010—Apple® today introduced iPad, a revolutionary device for browsing the web, reading and sending email, enjoying photos, watching videos, listening to music, playing games, reading e-books and much more. iPad’s responsive high-resolution Multi-Touch™ display lets users physically interact with applications and content. iPad is just 13.4 mm thick and weighs just 0.68 kg –  thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook. iPad includes 12 new innovative apps designed especially for the iPad, and will run almost all of the over 140,000 apps in the App Store. iPad will be available in late March worldwide with international pricing to be announced at a later date.

“iPad is our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iPad creates and defines an entirely new category of devices that will connect users with their apps and content in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.”

iPad features 12 next-generation Multi-Touch applications. Every app works in both portrait and landscape, automatically animating between views as the user rotates iPad in any direction. The precise Multi-Touch interface makes surfing the web on iPad an entirely new experience, dramatically more interactive and intimate than on a computer. Reading and sending email is fun and easy on iPad’s large screen and almost full-size “soft” keyboard. Import photos from a Mac®, PC or digital camera, see them organised as albums, and enjoy and share them using iPad’s elegant slideshows. Watch movies, TV shows and YouTube  or flip through pages of an e-book you downloaded from Apple’s new iBookstore while listening to your music collection.

iPad runs almost all of the over 140,000 apps on the App Store, including apps already purchased for your iPhone® or iPod touch®. The iTunes® Store gives you access to the world’s most popular online music. Apple also announced the new iBooks app for iPad, which includes Apple’s new iBookstore, the best way to browse, buy and read books on a mobile device. The iBookstore will feature books from major and independent publishers.

Apple also introduced a new version of iWork® for iPad, the first desktop-class productivity suite designed specifically for Multi-Touch. With Pages®, Keynote® and Numbers® you can create beautifully formatted documents, stunning presentations with animations and transitions, and spreadsheets with charts, functions and formulas. The three apps will be available separately through the App Store. International pricing will be announced at a later date.

iPad syncs with iTunes just like the iPhone and iPod touch, using the standard Apple 30-pin to USB cable, so you can sync all of your contacts, photos, music, movies, TV shows, applications and more from your Mac or PC. All the apps and content you download on iPad from the App Store, iTunes Store and iBookstore will be automatically synced to your iTunes library the next time you connect with your computer.

iPad’s brilliant 9.7-inch, LED-backlit display features IPS technology to deliver crisp, clear images and consistent colour with an ultra-wide 178 degree viewing angle. The highly precise, capacitive Multi-Touch display is amazingly accurate and responsive whether scrolling web pages or playing games. The intelligent soft keyboard pioneered on iPhone takes advantage of iPad’s larger display to offer an almost full-size soft keyboard. iPad also connects to the new iPad Keyboard Dock with a full-size traditional keyboard.

iPad is powered by A4, Apple’s next-generation system-on-a-chip. Designed by Apple, the new A4 chip provides exceptional processor and graphics performance along with long battery life of up to 10 hours.* Apple’s advanced chemistry and Adaptive Charging technology deliver up to 1,000 charge cycles without a significant decrease in battery capacity over a typical five year lifespan.**

iPad comes in two versions—one with Wi-Fi and the other with both Wi-Fi and 3G. iPad includes the latest 802.11n Wi-Fi, and the 3G versions support speeds up to 7.2 Mbps on HSDPA networks. Apple and AT&T announced breakthrough 3G pre-paid data plans for iPad with easy, on-device activation and management.

Continuing Apple’s dedication to designing and creating environmentally responsible products, each iPad enclosure is made of highly recyclable aluminium and comes standard with energy-efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. iPad contains no brominated flame retardants and is completely PVC-free.

Apple today released a new Software Development Kit (SDK) for iPad, so developers can create amazing new applications designed to take advantage of iPad’s capabilities. The SDK includes a simulator that lets developers test and debug their iPad apps on a Mac, and also lets developers create Universal Applications that run on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

Pricing & Availability
iPad will be available in late March worldwide for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model, $699 (US) for the 64GB model. The Wi-Fi + 3G models of iPad will be available in April in the US and selected countries for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. International pricing and worldwide availability will be announced at a later date. iBookstore will be available in the US at launch.

*Apple tested wireless battery life by browsing web pages and receiving email over an AirPort® network, never letting the system go to sleep during the test, and keeping the display at half brightness. This is a typical scenario of use on the go, resulting in a battery performance number that is very relevant to mobile users.

**A properly maintained iPad battery is designed to retain 80 percent or more of its original capacity during a lifespan of up to 1,000 recharge cycles. Battery life and charge cycles vary by use and settings.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

One of the Top-Selling Apps of 2009 Available for Free Download on iPhone®, iPod touch® 

Sydney, AUSTRALIA – January 28, 2010 – Zombies have overrun App Store as Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) and developer Treyarch have launched a free version of Call of Duty: World at War: ZOMBIES. The Call of Duty: World at War: ZOMBIES Lite App allows iPhone and iPod touch players to experience three rounds of the “Nacht der Untoten” (Night of the Undead) map in single player, explore the map and access a multitude of weapons from the Mystery Box. Multiplayer fans will be able to play for two rounds via Wi-Fi, locally or across the Internet with four players or two players over Bluetooth.

The Call of Duty: World at War: ZOMBIES Lite App is available from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com.au/appstore/.

Named as one of iTunes Rewind’s Best Apps of 2009, Call of Duty: World at War: ZOMBIES faithfully delivers upon the experience of one of the most popular and played online games of 2009 and offers limitless rounds both single player and the game’s highly-addictive co-op gameplay experience in full 3-D, allowing up to four players to join a game via Wi-Fi, locally or across the Internet, and up to two players via Bluetooth. The Call of Duty: World at War: ZOMBIES App, developed by Ideaworks Game Studio for the iPhone and iPod Touch based on Treyarch’s console version, is available for AU$12.99 from the App Store at www.itunes.com.au/appstore/.

For more information about Call of Duty: World at War, visit www.CoDWaW.com.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision Publishing maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Russia, Japan, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Activision Publishing generally uses words such as “outlook,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “might,” “remains,” “to be,” “plans,” “believes,” “may,” “expects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “estimate,” future,” “plan,” “positioned,” “potential,” “project,” “remain,” “scheduled,” “set to,” “subject to,” “upcoming” and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause Activision Publishing’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but are not limited to, sales levels of Activision Publishing’s titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the impact of the current macroeconomic environment, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, Activision Publishing’s ability to predict consumer preferences among competing hardware platforms, declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Activision Publishing’s products, adoption rate and availability of new hardware (including peripherals) and related software, industry competition, rapid changes in technology, industry standards and consumer preferences, protection of proprietary rights, litigation against Activision Publishing, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, licensees, licensors, vendors and third-party developers, counterparty risks relating to customers, licensees, licensors and manufacturers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates and tax rates, integration of recent acquisitions and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities, and the other factors identified in the risk factors section of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

BitDefender provides removal tool for recently discovered Zimuse malware 

SYDNEY & AUCKLAND – January 28, 2010 – BitDefender® today posted a removal tool for a new e-threat that combines the destructive behavior of a virus with the spreading mechanisms of a worm. The two known variants of this virus, Zimuse, enter the computer disguised as a harmless IQ test or a self-extracting zip archive. 

Upon execution, the malware will attempt to spread through removable media and overwrite the master boot record (MBR) of all available drives after 40 days for variant A, and 20 days for variant B. This technique was commonly used in viruses dating back from the early 1990’s to quickly spread across removable mediums such as floppy disks and now, their modern day equivalent, removable USB drives.

The IQ test may come from various places like emails, torrent sites, or shared networks. As always, downloading or opening files from unsecured sites or ones with low security carries high risk for inadvertently downloading this virus. Unfortunately, in its early stages, this worm makes it nearly impossible for users to know their system has fallen victim to the e-threat. If a certain number of days have elapsed since the infection (40 days for variant A and 20 days for variant B), the computer user receives an error message stating that a problem has occurred due to malicious content in IP packets from a peculiar-looking web address. It then asks the user to recover the system by pressing ‘OK’. After this message, the next restart causes the computer’s hard disk to become damaged due to the compromised boot sector.

BitDefender’s Zimuse removal tool can be found at:

BitDefender offers a free QuickScan for people who are unsure whether their system has been compromised. The scan is available on the BitDefender Zimuse website, or via: http://quickscan.bitdefender.com/

To clean infected systems, BitDefender’s free Zimuse removal tool is available via: http://www.zimuse.com/download/zimuse-removal-tool.exe

EA ANNOUNCES THE OFFICIAL GAME OF THE 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP

Event Game Features First Full and Authentic 2010 FIFA World Cup Online Tournament Mode

28 January 2010, Australia – Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) will celebrate the single largest sporting event on the planet with the only official and exclusively licensed videogame for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™.
 
Now everyone can play in the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ on the PlayStation®3, Xbox 360®, Wii™, PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) and mobile from late April 2010 in anticipation of the real-world tournament which begins in June.
 
EA SPORTS™ 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa will feature all the emotion and passion of the fiercest national rivalries battling on the world’s biggest stage. The game will include all 199 national teams that took part in qualification and all 10 official stadiums to be used in South Africa, as well as stadiums from each qualifying region.
 
Gamers will be able to play as their home nation from qualification right through to a virtual reproduction of the FIFA World Cup Final™ and feel what it is like to score the goal that lifts a nation.  Everything fans love about the World Cup will come to life in spectacular detail, including confetti rain, streamers and fireworks.
 
For the first time ever in a videogame, players can also compete in a full and authentic online World Cup tournament. Carry the hopes and dreams of a nation into battle against fans from rival countries, from the group stage through the knockout rounds for the chance to be crowned 2010 FIFA World Cup South AfricaTM champion. For fans of nations that failed to qualify for South Africa, this is the chance to replay and re-write history.
 
The videogame will also have gameplay innovations that capture the journey from qualification to the final tournament, featuring home and away strategies for every nation, situational tactics in-game and altitude effects that fatigue players faster and even impact the flight of the ball.
 
EA SPORTS™ 2010 FIFA World Cup on the Wii is an action-packed football game that brings friends together in their living rooms to compete for the 2010 FIFA World CupTM. The game will be presented in an art style that celebrates the cultural vibrancy of the first FIFA World CupTM to be held in Africa. Travel around the world virtually to take on all 32 nations competing in South Africa in head-to-head challenges in Zakumi’s Dream Team mode. Start the journey with random players and then build your team by stealing an opposition player after each victory. Win a challenge and pick a player until you have conquered the world.  Plus, your team can travel with you to compete at a friend’s house on your Wii Remote.
 
Visit http://www.FIFA-WORLD-CUP.EASPORTS.COM for more information about features for each available platform, which will be revealed over the coming months.
 
EA SPORTS™ 2010 FIFA World Cup, developed by EA Canada in Burnaby, B.C. will be in stores in Australia from late April. The game has not yet been rated.
 
Screenshots can be downloaded at http://info.ea.com.

Trackmania, the most fun-filled racing game played by millions of players worldwide, makes its big entrance in the console world with this remarkable adaptation for the Nintendo Wii™!

….here are the very first images, of the legendary racing game!

Using your Wiimote and your Nunchuk, your gamepad or your Wii Wheel, pilot racing cars at incredible speeds on spectacular tracks full of ramps, loops, turbo boosts, and other crazy track-blocks.

Race on more than 200 tracks divided into six drastically different environments, and numerous game modes!

TrackMania Wii also offers the incredible and essential ‘Track Editor’, giving the player the opportunity to create an infinite number of personal tracks! to share with your friends, thanks to the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection!

Multiplayer modes are also included:

¸         Hotseat mode

¸         4 players split-screen,

¸         online play using Nintendo Wi-fi connection!

Compete against your friends and join online players from all around the world!
Impeccable production and rich content provide TrackMania on Wii with everything it needs to become the most fun-filled and complete racing game on Nintendo Wii.

http://www.xbox.com/en-AU/pm/topgearlive/default.htm

WD® Introduces High-Performance My Book® Studio™ External Hard Drives with Innovative E-Label Display
Creative Professionals Now Have a Better Way to Tell Their Drives Apart

Sydney, Australia – January 25, 2009 – WD®, the world’s leader in external storage solutions, today introduced its new high-performance My Book® Studio™ desktop external drives with a customizable e-label that is always visible, even when unplugged, so it’s easy to know the contents of the drive. Designed for Mac® users and creative professionals, the new My Book Studio drives are equipped with a FireWire® 800 interface to give users the speed they need for demanding tasks like photo and video editing and graphic design.

The new My Book Studio drives are TimeMachine® compatible, offer automatic, continuous backup with WD SmartWare™ software, and include 256-bit hardware-based encryption to provide a high level of security. Available now at select retailers and the WD online store (shopwd.com), the new My Book Studio drives are formatted for Mac and offered in capacities of 1 TB, 1.5 TB and 2 TB.

Creative professionals generate, store and back up massive amounts of digital content. During in-home and in-studio interviews with consumers, WD team members observed that many were taping notes or other hand-made labels on their many drives to tell them apart. For these customers, WD developed the e-label high-contrast smart display which reads like ink on paper, and lets the user create a customized label to describe the drive’s contents.

Utilizing e-paper technology similar to that found on the Amazon Kindle™, the information on the display remains clearly visible even when the drive is unplugged, and can be changed easily and as often as desired. The e-label also shows available storage capacity and drive security status.

“Storing and backing up is a huge part of my workflow as a professional photographer,” said Bruce Dorn. “I have been using WD hard drives for quite a while now and my experience has been exceptional with reliability and ease-of-use, and I love the design. The new e-label smart display will help me organize my projects while password protection and encryption will keep it more secure. The new drives deliver backup not only for professionals, but for anyone who is taking pictures, collecting music or who needs to back up their digital life.”

My Book Studio drives also feature user-selected password protection combined with 256-bit hardware-based encryption, which scrambles files before they are stored. Typically found only on much more expensive drive systems, the encryption acts as a virtual padlock to keep users’ data safe.

The new My Book Studio drives come equipped with WD SmartWare software, an integrated application which provides automatic and continuous backup, as well as control of the e-label display, password and other settings. When the My Book Studio drive is plugged in for the first time, the simple and intuitive first backup process launches automatically. The real-time visual interface of WD SmartWare software gives users a reassuring view of their backup as it happens. After the first backup, users’ files are backed up automatically every time they change or add a file. 

WD SmartWare software is compatible with the Apple® TimeMachine. Users with older versions of Mac OS (not equipped with TimeMachine) or those who wish to use the drive for both backup and extra storage have the option to use WD SmartWare software backup capability.

“Photographers, videographers and other Mac computer enthusiasts require fast performance for their complex projects,” said Dale Pistilli, vice president of marketing for WD’s branded products group. “They also have a very large number of projects and files which they need to keep organized across multiple hard drives. With a FireWire 800 interface and customizable e-label, the new My Book Studio drives offer an elegant, high-speed solution for these creative professionals to interact with, organize and securely archive their media.”

My Book Studio
The new WD My Book Studio drives feature:
– Smart display with a customizable e-label that reminds users of what is stored on the drive, available capacity and security status at-a-glance, even when the drive is unplugged;
– High-performance FireWire 800 interface to access data at top speeds and USB 2.0 interface;
– Plug-and-play ready for Mac users and compatible with Apple TimeMachine;
– WD SmartWare software that visually presents consumers’ data in a software control center, providing them peace of mind that their precious photos, videos and files are securely protected;
– 256-bit hardware-based encryption and password protection for peace of mind knowing that data is protected from unauthorized access;
– Smaller, sleeker, more streamlined design and elegant book-like shape that takes up minimal space and allows two or more My Book drives to nestle together neatly like volumes on a shelf;
– WD GreenPower Technology™ lowers internal drive power consumption by up to 30 percent, a sleep mode reduces power during idle times, and a power-saving feature turns the drive on and off with your computer;
– Planet-friendly packaging derived from recycled materials to minimize waste;
– HFS + Journaled  formatting and are compatible with Mac OS X Tiger®, Leopard® and Snow Leopard™;
– 3-year limited warranty.

Product and Pricing Summary
Manufacturer: Western Digital
Product Name: My Book Studio 1 TB, 1.5 TB and 2 TB  
RRP for 1 TB: AU$ 229.99, NZ$ 279.99
RRP for 1.5 TB: AU$ 299.99, NZ$ 349.99
RRP for 2 TB: AU$399.99, NZ$ 499.99
Website: www.westerndigital.com
Australian Distributors: Synnex Australia and Simms International
New Zealand Distributors: Ingram Micro NZ and Synnex NZ
Availability: Now

WD SmartWare Software
WD SmartWare software features:
– Visual backup displays that show content in categories and shows the progress of backup;
– Automatic, continuous data backup will instantly make a second copy whenever you add or change a file;
– Retrieve valuable data to its original location whether it’s lost data or the file has been overwritten; and, 
– Customizable data backup that allows users to set drive security, run diagnostics, manage the power settings, and more from the WD SmartWare control center.

About WD
WD, one of the storage industry’s pioneers and long-time leaders, provides products and services for people and organizations that collect, manage and use digital information. The company designs and produces reliable, high-performance hard drives and solid state drives that keep users’ data accessible and secure from loss. Its advanced technologies are configured into applications for client and enterprise computing, embedded systems and consumer electronics, as well as its own consumer storage and media products.
WD was founded in 1970. The company’s storage products are marketed to leading OEMs, systems manufacturers, selected resellers and retailers under the Western Digital® and WD brand names. Visit the Investor section of the company’s Web site (www.westerndigital.com) to access a variety of financial and investor information.

Aliens Vs Predator
April 2010
Developed by Rebellion and Published by Sega
It’s human nature to be afraid of the dark. Afraid of the things that we don’t see, terrified of what can lurch from the blackness and take us to the dark oblivion. Rebellion has had a good history with the Alien franchise. Having had a good run with Alien Vs Predator for the Jaguar gaming system back in 1995, and then Aliens Vs Predator for the PC in 1999.  Now here we are in 2010, and Rebellion is again bringing the terror to gamers with a game concept that just knocks your socks off. This time around Aliens Vs Predator has all the bells and whistles going for it. The game companies with proven track records for the franchise, spectacular story telling and now incredible next gen graphics. What we expect from this title is of course again, a game that is actually three games in one. Playing either as a Human Marine, an Alien or a Predator. Each game experience bringing more depth and three different points of view to the story. For a time, we had been worried that the graphic nature of some of the deaths in the game would cause it to not get a rating in Australia, thankfully that is not the case at all. So our Australian readers will be enjoying an uncut, full immersive experience. If Rebellion delivers it’s usual spectacular all around quality, gamers can expect a suspense filled romp that they will have a hard time tearing themselves away from. Aliens Vs Predator is coming for the PC and can also be downloaded on Steam. The other platforms are of course Xbox 360 and the PS3. Watch for our full review within a few days of release in February 2010.

Edwin Millheim
U.S Editor
Impulse Gamer

PERFECT WORLD ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES “BATTLE OF THE IMMORTALS” FOR NORTH AMERICA  

January 26, 2010 – Redwood City, Calif. – Perfect World Entertainment Inc., a wholly owned US subsidiary of Perfect World Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: PWRD), today announced that Perfect World’s highly successful MMORPG, Battle of the Immortals, will be making its way to North America. Battle of the Immortals is a 2.5D multiplayer game that incorporates eastern and western cultures ranging from Norse Mythology to the Qin Dynasty. Closed beta for Battle of the Immortals will start on Wednesday, February 10.

Taking up the mantle of relic hunters, players can expect to travel throughout the world from the ancient tombs of past emperors in the East to the mythical Mount Olympus in the West. They will also be able to explore the Great Pyramids, uncover the mystery behind the Lost City of Atlantis and delve into lost temples deep within the Mayan jungle. Players will engage in epic battles against other players for the right to battle monsters, control cities & rule supreme.

“We’re very excited to be announcing Battle of the Immortals as part of our latest game offerings,” said Jonathan Belliss, Product Manager for Battle of the Immortals. “Dedicated players can expect high rewards, especially with the robust PvP system and unique Soul Gear system that allows players to equip living outfits that will transform and change as they use them.”

For more information on Battle of the Immortals, please visit the official website at http://BOI.PerfectWorld.com/

About Perfect World Entertainment

Perfect World Entertainment, a subsidiary of Perfect World Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: PWRD), publishes free-to-play online games and provides online services in North America. The Company primarily publishes three-dimensional, or 3D, online games based on the Perfect World proprietary Angelica 3D game engine and game development platform. The Company’s releases include “Ether Saga Online,” “Jade Dynasty” and “Perfect World International,” a free-to-play MMORPG which is currently played by millions of people worldwide; and a single-player action-RPG “Torchlight.”

Australia, 27 January, 2010

Pokémon™ HeartGold Version and Pokémon™ SoulSilver Version come to Nintendo DS® and Nintendo DSi™, 25 March 2010. The new Pokéwalker™ accessory comes included with each game so that players can now continue to enjoy the world of Pokémon by taking a part of it with them in their Pokéwalker wherever they go!